The Soviet Command Airport was a military airfield located in the Independent Republic of Nogova.
Overview[]
One of Nogova's two main airfields[1], this military base was located in the desert on the western side of the island. It was formerly operated by the Soviet Union at the height of their occupation.[2]
The airport served as the primary staging ground for the occupation force's ground and aerial assets.[3] Logistics convoys regularly performed supply runs to other Soviet garrisons throughout the island, with the MSR concentrated on the bridge at Davle that linked both parts of the island together.[4][5]
The airfield was heavily damaged in late September 1982[6] and was eventually abandoned by the Soviets after their occupation came to an abrupt end on September 25th, 1982.[2][7]
Runway[]
| W | Length | Width | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 → | 1,266 m | 36 m | ← 36 |
History[]
On September 8th, 1982[2], a small group of anti-Soviet partisan fighters led by Victor Troska succeeded in destroying several of the helicopter gunships that had been stationed at the airfield.[3][8]
The partisans had recently obtained a shipment of Stinger anti-air missiles (covertly supplied to them by the United States).[9] They used them to bring down several of the gunships, inflicting a severe blow to the occupation force that was already being overstretched.[8][10]
As the Soviets continued to suffer a chain of defeats over the course of two weeks, most significantly the loss of the capital, Lipany[11], as well as the city of Petrovice[12], what was left of the Soviet occupation force made plans to evacuate from the country on September 25th.[2][13]
However, the commander of the force, Colonel Aleksei Guba, refused to release their hold on Nogova without exacting retribution upon the partisans. Guba insisted that although they may have been defeated, he would not let the partisans enjoy the satisfaction of their "victory". To that end, he rerouted a flight of bombers to the airfield. After they were refuelled and armed up, the bombers would proceed to cover their evacuation by carpet bombing every single settlement on the island.[13]
The partisans were initially unaware of Guba's genocidal "strategy", but through the help of a U.S. black ops team led by Major James Gastovski, they managed to intercept Soviet communications.[14] MAJ Gastovski requested for assistance from the U.S. garrison on Malden but the garrison's commander, General Williams, refused to send aid to stop the airstrikes.[15] Gastovski's team then attempted to move in on their own but the Soviets were ready for them; with the sole exception of Gastovski himself, every single American operative was killed.[16]
Victor Troska succeeds in putting a stop to Col. Guba's plans mere seconds before they can take off (Late 1982)
Left with no options, the partisan leader, Victor Troska, immediately mobilised his fighters in an attempt to put a stop to the Colonel's plans.[16] However, the bulk of the partisans were also wiped out when the Soviets ambushed their armoured units.[17] Troska was the only one who could make it to the airfield in time. With just seconds to spare, Troska single-handedly managed to destroy all of the bombers using only a handful of explosives and a rocket launcher.[6]
In the aftermath of the attack, a flight of U.S. attack helicopters would finally arrive to provide air support. The surviving Soviets at the airfield opted to surrender to the partisans when the Americans destroyed their remaining tanks.[7]
Gallery[]
Config references[]
mission.sqm[]
- ↑ 18firefight.noe >> mission.sqm >> Mission >> Markers >> Item1 >> position[] >> {1543.8315,24.974998,5403.2119}
References[]
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See also[]
| Settlements in Nogova | |
|---|---|
| Cities | Lipany • Petrovice |
| Towns | Mírov • Modrava • Neveklov • Vidlákov |
| Villages | Bitov • Blata • Bor • Bludov • Davle • Dolina • Frymburk • Joudov • Kost • Kvilda • Lany • Loukov • Mala Ves • Mokrá Vrata • Mokropsy • Okrouhlo • Opatov • Paseky • Skalice • Slapy • St. Sedlo • Trosky • Varta • Velká Ves |
| Military installations | Soviet Command Airport |